Sometimes these schools are not totally awesome. But sometimes for sure they are. The latter description fit the team that the 'Waska Lakers faced in their Friday game. The game was in the state AA semis. The Lakers' stellar foe would be Providence Academy.
"Academy" certainly suggests private school. There was a time when the state's private schools had their own state tournament. And that tournament seemed like an afterthought compared to the big one-class tourney that was such a highlight on the calendar. One class! We sure could not imagine that now. We are enlightened and we set the proper standards.
There was a one-year experiment with trying to have the best of both worlds. A multi-class arrangement would veer into one class at the end. I remember Mark Torgerson giving me some quotes that suggested it might be a good thing. I think Torgy was just trying to be positive about something the High School League was trying to do. Nice to be positive, but it wasn't long before we heard the whole "hybrid" idea had been disposed in the trash.
So not only did we let the "class system" prevail again, we had it prevail with four classes instead of two! Seems to have become a good thing. We may have lost some of the "mass interest" that the old tourney created. You know, with kids being excused from school classes so they could go to the cafeteria and watch the games on TV. A real priority then.
There remains a healthy level of interest but it's just different. Diversified? Fragmented? Put aside this question and just consider that up until about 1971, there was no girls basketball at all! Hard to believe.
The Gene Hackman movie "Hoosiers" showed us a world of the one-class tourney and boys monopolizing.
Here's a cultural memory that pertains to Minnesota: Remember how people would say "we'll get a big winter storm at the time of the state tournament?" And back then nobody had to specify "boys" or "girls" of course. Girls could get involved as cheerleaders. The cute girls were selected. Bygone times, yes, and our culture has evolved in myriad ways.
The situation is always a little fluid, so today there's a debate over "trans" kids in sports. IMHO this is not a case of cultural enlightenment slowly taking over. It's not like the "arrival" of girls basketball. Well I certainly hope not. I am totally against "trans" kids in girls and women's sports. Will I be on the side that prevails? It really is hard to say.
The Democratic Party will have a hard time making inroads until it comes over to my side on this. Gavin Newsom has come around to my side. In the end, all I can really do is observe.
I was skeptical going into the Minnewaska vs. Providence game in the state semis on Friday. I was skeptical about the really super 'Waska team having much of a chance. I read about the Providence Academy creds and felt "this is one of those private schools that will bury you."
Well, finishing in the state's top four is still a pretty lofty position for the Lakers and their coach Nick Danielson.
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| Providence "Lions" |
The Lions of Providence Academy have no memories of losing. So on Friday they rolled past Minnewaska Area in an 88-43 final at Williams Arena.
It was the Lions' 43rd consecutive win. As I write this, Providence Academy is one win away from winning a fourth straight state title! Break up the Lions!
I remember as a kid hearing about the "Minnesota Independent State Tournament" and thinking it was so obscure, anticlimactic. I didn't even understand what it was at first. I think the Catholics began lobbying big-time to get their private schools into the big tent of the "real" tournament, the "Hoosiers" style of tournament. It's hard to keep the Catholics down.
Providence Academy applied their standard playbook against 'Waska. They applied relentless speed and quickness. Providence has a junior, Maddyn Greenway, who is a real player of note, committed to U of Kentucky in fact. She's the daughter of former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Chad Greenway.
But my goodness, Maddyn has a "little sister" who is making an impression too! That's Beckett who is just an eighth-grader. Beckett scored 14 points in the first half and had 19 for the game. Maddyn's contribution? It was 26 points.
Senior guard McKenna Schaefer had 17 points and eight rebounds. And senior Hope Counts worked the post position to score 15, plus grab 15 rebounds. Hey that's kind of cute: "Hope Counts." I agree it does.
The Lakers had a hard time avoiding turnovers against such a stellar opponent. The Lions converted 24 turnovers into 35 points.
Ouch: the West Central Tribune's headline about the game reads: "Girls basketball: Providence Academy pounds Minnewaska Lakers in Class AA semis."
Providence plays for the AA title this evening (Saturday) against Crosby-Ironton. Minnewaska will face Minnehaha Academy pretty darn soon from when I'm writing this. It's all I can do to keep up with everything. Action for third in state is set for 2 p.m. today (Saturday). It's a mighty blustery Saturday here on the prairie. Game site will be the Gangelhoff Center, Concordia-St. Paul.
Providence had an "iron man" look on the court vs. 'Waska. The five starters didn't leave the court until 3:53 left. Counts and Beckett Greenway stayed in the game even after having some foul trouble. Beckett was quoted in media following the game. I can remember when eighth graders here in Morris weren't even eligible to be on varsity!
Sydney Dahl has been a standout for 'Waska all season. She provided 21 points against Providence. The rest of the Laker scoring list: Jayda Kolstoe 7, Lauryn Ankeny 6, Megan Thorfinnson 4, Olivia Danielson 3 and Addy Kath 2. Ankeny made two 3-pointers while Dahl, Thorfinnson and Kolstoe each made one.
Kath was team-best in rebounds with nine. Ankeny dished out five assists plus she had three steals. Dahl blocked a shot.
The Lakers are guaranteed to come away from the season with super memories! I am pleased to have blogged about this crew regularly. I hope some of the 'Waska people have discovered it on my two blog sites. My two sites are "I Love Morris" and "Morris of Course." I'll repeat that I have family connections to Glenwood.
Maddyn Greenway with coach Conner Goetz after scoring her 3000th point last year. And she's now over 4000!
- Brian Williams - morris mn minnesota - bwilly73@yahoo.com
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